AC/DC Takes Verizon Money, On iTunes in Eight Months

AC/DC has finally made its music available legally online--in an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless. SAI digital music analyst Peter Kafka explains that this otherwise bizarre-seeming choice is a no-lose for AC/DC: They can take a nice fat exclusive check from Verizon and then 8 months later go to iTunes, where people actually buy digital music.

Verizon isn't selling the bulk of the AC/DC catalog as
wireless "over-the-air" downloads straight to a cellphone. Instead, it
is for sale through the company's online digital-music store, where the
music must be downloaded to a computer and then transferred to a phone.
With the exception of one song, "You Shook Me All Night Long," the
music is for sale only in the form of complete albums, not individual
song downloads.

Each album costs $11.99 to download; Amazon.com
Inc. sells the band's "Back in Black" CD for $9.97. Songs bought on the
Web site can be loaded into advanced cell phones that can play music.
Verizon is selling ringtones for 18 AC/DC songs wirelessly. Mr.
Harrobin said only 5% of Verizon Wireless's music sales are made
through its online store; the rest are over-the-air downloads.